The Wyoming legislature has passed a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, which will become law unless vetoed by Governor Mark Gordon. Emotions run high on both sides, with opponents arguing that children should wait until adulthood to make such decisions, while supporters of trans rights say the bill is not based on medical science and interferes with families with transgender children. The bill prohibits hormonal therapies and puberty blockers for gender-affirming care but does not address psychiatric treatments. Healthcare providers violating the bill could have their licenses revoked. Similar bills have been passed in other states, including Ohio, North Carolina, Missouri, and Texas.
Medical professionals and LGBTQ advocates in Wyoming strongly oppose the bill, arguing that it will affect physician recruitment and harm transgender youth’s mental health. Gender-affirming care for minors is supported by national organizations like the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Parents of transgender children emphasize that decisions about their children’s healthcare should not be the government’s concern.
Opponents of the bill characterize doctors as motivated by money and families seeking gender-affirming care as not taking the issue seriously. The bill’s supporters believe that it is necessary to protect children from making irreversible decisions before they reach adulthood. Governor Gordon’s decision on the bill will have significant implications for the transgender community and healthcare providers in Wyoming.
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